Forum Discussion
Svg files for SL360 on the roadmap?
Hi, wonder if and when you are planning to let SL360 support svg images?
90 Replies
Hi Luke!
We understand the need for this. This is a hot topic that our team is looking into. I don't have anything to share publicly but when I do, I'll report back to this discussion.
We appreciate everyone taking the time to share what's important to them when creating in Storyline!
Not to be rude, but there are 10 posts from "staff" saying they are considering this, in some form. Is the statement, "We appreciate everyone taking the time to share whats important" just a canned response? Two years now... I do not *feel* like this is really being given any thought by Articulate.
There are features that people have been asking for for years, like the "Jump to position in Timeline" already asked 7 years ago and their answer is always the same...
+1. Please implement native support for importing SVG graphics without the Powerpoint to Articulate step.
+1 Please add this to your roadmap.
I have not seen or been notified of any updates yet?
Another 6 months past and no word.
This is very poor customer engagement.
We really need SVG import directly in SL360. Please fix it.
It has been over two years since the original post, the only real solution I have found is to build any course that heavily uses SVG's in captivate instead, as that has had support for some time. You can even edit colours and sizes on the fly of SVG's within a course.
Articulate really need to address this as I am less and less turning to their toolset.
The issue with Captivate is that it has not been updated in a long time and concerns about its future....over 300 of our digital learning content creators have moved this year from Captivate to Storyline only.
Hello Mikael and Luke,
We took a step in the direction to fill this need with the following ability:
Importing SVG Images from PowerPoint
The ability to natively use SVGs in Storyline is still a feature that we are tracking and this conversation is linked to the report so that we can share updates with you here.
When do you think it works to import native? We will start a 3 year project. I want to use Storyline 360 but the project requires us to import lots of SVG files. Solving it via PowerPoint would be time consuming. If I understand correctly, do colors change when we import from PowerPoint to SL360?
Is there no other way to import vector images so they keep in quality?
Hi Leslie,
I'm glad there is something, but this solution doesn't work well. Some of the components don't display after import.I am experiencing the same issue as Dave. Many SVG components do not display at all after importing them from a PowerPoint. If they do end up displaying, many times it looks something like this. The only way I am able to import an SVG from PowerPoint into Articulate 360 Storyline is if the SVG is only using one layer and solid colours (no gradients). This makes importing SVG files from PowerPoint to Storyline much less valuable as it stands now.
Except if you don't have office 365 you can't use this feature, because that's the only version of PowerPoint that supports SVG files.
Also this link doesn't work.
Another 8 months have been added to the years... and still nothing.
I also find it insulting to my intelligence as a designer to call it "Importing SVGs from Powerpoint", as you are absolutely NOT importing the SVG, you are converting the SVG to a raster image. Which is patently unacceptable in the design world.
To add to that, if all the people that have posted workarounds would stop calling them "shapes", that'd be great. Because "shapes" implies they are vector shapes, as the default shapes within SL are. After trying all the multiple ways I've found people suggest to get their vector shapes into SL, all I'm left with are raster images, not vector shapes. Furthermore, depending on the technique, you may or may not retain transparency. So instead of a triangle covering half the stage, I get a full-stage image that is half triangle, half white (where the transparency was.) How ANYONE has found this acceptable to this point is beyond me. Each passing day brings yet another example of frustration when it comes to basic features not included in SL. No one is asking for anything over the top. Just the same basic features that almost every other design app includes in their "beginner level" features. And yet, not even the decency of an explanation as to why these requests are simply rejected, year after year.
Hey Kevin. I agree that it is still not easy to import vector assets into Storyline, but it is possible. I've noticed that if I export a SVG shape from Illustrator that contains a clipping mask, or if the shape uses groups or layers in Illustrator, then it will look fine when imported into PowerPoint, but will convert to a raster image if you import that PowerPoint into Storyline. The key is to only import single vector (SVG) shapes into PowerPoint then into Storyline. Once the shape is in Storyline you will notice that it is a vector shape graphic not an image. Then you can add colours and gradients the same way you would to any other shape in Storyline.
It's really painful to do, but not impossible. I think this should be something Articulate should focus on more. There are definitely people that have been wanting to see this in Storyline for years.
I've created a rough guide that I shared with my team on how to import SVG shapes from Adobe Illustrator to PowerPoint to Articulate Storyline. Articulate's resource that they have on the webpage about Importing SVG files is missing some crucial information. Hopefully this helps somebody:
Illustrator Notes:
- Saving SVG files from Illustrator that contain more than one shape at a time often leads to issues when trying to bring into Storyline. To avoid this, only save one shape in Illustrator as an SVG at a time.
- Remove any gradients from the shapes that you plan to import into Articulate
- Check the layers. Make sure that there are no clipping masks, or groupings. The vector shape should be the only thing in a layer. So if you check your layers inside of Illustrator, it should be something like this: “Layer 1” —> “Component Path”. And not “Layer 1” —> “Clip Group” —> “Group” —> “Component Path”.
- Export the shape as an SVG
Instructions to import an SVG graphic into PowerPoint for Windows:
- Open PowerPoint on Windows (You need PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2019, or Office 365. Earlier versions of PowerPoint don’t support SVGs.)
- Create a new blank presentation, delete title and text placeholders
- Go to Insert > Pictures > This Device, and find the SVG shape you exported from Illustrator
- Do NOT right click on the SVG and select “Convert to Shape” in PowerPoint. This will result in a png image when imported into Articulate
- You MAY have to change the SVG fill colour inside of PowerPoint in order for Articulate to recognize it. But if you did this in Illustrator it should work.
- Save your PowerPoint with a SINGLE vector SVG shape inserted into it. Sometimes multiple shapes work, but I’ve had problems with this.
Importing PowerPoint into Storyline:
- Create a new Storyline project, and import from PowerPoint.
- Check to see if the vector/SVG shape is now available on the slide. If it worked, it will show the layer as a “Freeform” graphic. If it says anything other than that, then something had not been prepped properly, and it hasn’t been imported as a vector. Go back and review.
- The aspect ratio will have changed after the vector is imported into Storyline. To correct this, open the original SVG in Illustrator to reference the width and height (Window —> Info panel) to get the correct dimensions and use those dimensions in Storyline. Once the aspect ratio is corrected, click on “Lock aspect ratio” in Storyline.
- You can now copy and paste this vector graphic from your storyline slide into your main Storyline Project.
The problem I'm running into now is dealing with a very slow and laggy Storyline project file because I've imported around 50 vector objects on a slide in order to build something that requires many layers. Might be something to keep in mind.
That is still the long way around just to convert an svg to a file. As a designer I can simply export from Illustrator to PNG. not the point.
It seems to be an option for non graphic designer people,
Even now, we are moving on to Lottie files which are animated SVG objects.
At the risk of trodding on TP's toes and corrupting his excellent walkthrough, I'd like to illustrate his methodology with some images that do show that the end result is an imported SVG shape and not a rasterized image within Storyline.
This is a logo in Illustrator. Simplified to four shape paths. The text and lines are compound paths and the star and its outline are simple shape paths that don't need to be 'compounded.
This is the exported SVG after being imported into Powerpoint. As you can see it's looking good (awesome design).
This is the voodoo-ish part. After the Powerpoint slide has been imported into your Storyline file you will end up with an invisible mess like this.
But don't worry, the logo is there, as you can see from the Timeline. There are 4 layers corresponding to the 4 paths within the SVG file.
Yeah, this is the weird part I don't get myself. 90% of the time the SVG imports perfectly, but sometimes there is a distortion, as TP mentions. This is easily rectified, as he explains, by referring to the original dimensions of your vector file.
Once we correct the dimensions the logo is in Storyline and looking pretty good. But we want it to look like the original so we just select the shapes, because they are shapes, and fill with whatever colour we want.
And here you can see I have decided to make the middle star white and the 'outline' shape red. It looks awesome and is full of vectory goodness.
Diarmaid... I wanted to make sure to thank you for your replies as well. The visuals are always helpful.
Perhaps you can try the artboard suggestion I made in my above comment to see if that fixes the distortion issue for you. I feel like maybe they're using the overall stage dimensions as their guide when importing PPT slides. So if your artboard is not exactly the same dimensions as the PPT or SL stages, we get the distortion. But with no artboard space outside the overall size of the shapes you're bringing over, there's nothing to try and line up... and the shapes appear as they should.
Maybe this is just in my case, with the shapes I used. But it sounds plausible.
Anyway, thanks again!
The only issue I do run into has only started happening recently and it is this:
"If you see a “Failed to import PowerPoint presentation” error message in Storyline 360, it means one or more of the following issues is occurring..." and Articulate provide suggested solutions here:
But the solution for me has been as follows:
The Presentation Doesn't Start with Slide Number 1
PowerPoint presentations must start numbering slides from 1 to import successfully into Storyline. If your presentation starts with slide 0 or another number, here's how you can fix it.PowerPoint 2016 and Later: Go to the Design tab on the ribbon, click Slide Size, and choose Custom Slide Size. Enter 1 in the Number slides from field and click OK.
Anyway, I hope this helps. Whilst I understand the frustration that Storyline cannot simply import SVGs, the PowerPoint workaround has been subsumed into my workflow and I am loving the fact that all my little icons, logos, pie-charts and graph details can all be imported and look absolutely crisp onscreen.
Thank you Diarmaid. I've always had issues importing an SVG that contains more than 1 layer into PowerPoint and then into Storyline but the method you outlined definitely seems to work great!
You have also mentioned that shapes end up being invisible once they are imported into SL. I've experienced the same thing but totally forgot to bring it up in my previous post.
Thanks for sharing! You are definitely not trodding on my toes!
